Trace-carrier



(No Model.)

G. ELBEL.

TRACE CARRIER.

atented Aug. 30, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT DEEicE.

GUSTAVUS ELBEL, or CANTON, OHIO.

TRACE-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,998, dated au usrao, 1887-.

Application filed May 21,1885. Serial No.166,284. (No model.)

To a/ZZ'u/Jwm it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GUSTAVUS ELBEL, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trace-Carriers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side View of a trace-chain carrier having my improvements. Fig. 2 is a .top view. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a modified form. Fig. 4. isa face view of the latter. Fig. 5 is a section on the line as a: of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a section of another modified form. Fig. 7 is a face view of the latter. Fig. 8 is a section of the loop in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a side view of another modification.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is a plate which in front view is preferably of substantially the form shown in Fig. 4c.that is to say, it has ears or expansions a a, provided with rivet-apertures 0L2, whereby it may be secured firmly to the outer face of a back-strap, A, which is to hold the trace-carrier; also, it preferably has a comparatively large aperture at a The plate is extended downward, as at B, to. form one of the walls of the loop or stationary supporting-hook, in which the trace-chain is to be held. The bottom of this loop is represented at G and the outer wall or plate by D. In the construction shown in Fig. -1 these are so arranged as to form a narrow rectangular-like device, particularly useful when it is desired to have the chain held in such way that it cannot slip through the holder; or the loop may be wider and more nearly oval or circular, as shown in other figures. Y

Still referring to Fig. 1, E represents a crossbar, (see also Fig. 3,) preferably formed integrally with the parts A and B. Part of the outer face of the stationary supporting-hook is described with a radius from this bar E, for

a purpose to be described. At F F are shown 7 the links of a chain which is being supported inthe holder B G D. It will be seen that the link F rests firmly upon the bottom of the holder, and that the adjacentlinks cannotpass into or beyond the holder by reason of the fact that they strike against the rigid parts. The gravity of the chain tends to hold it properly in the carrier; but to supplement this tendency E a distance sufficient to permit part of it (thepart 9) to pass said surface 6. Immediately after it passes the latter it automatically draws toward the bar E, and therefore the fastener is held positively in position. This lock may be made as strong as desired, and so that it cannot be opened accidentally under ordinary circumstances. To effect the fastening of it a part or the whole may be made elastic.

To assist in preventing the fastener from receiving any impacts or blows from the chainlinks, use may be made of an abutment or stop, H, as shown in Fig. 1, which is cast rigidly with the walls of .the loop and projects upward, being adapted to pass through one of the links.

I am aware of the fact that holders have been heretofore used in which one of the vertical walls or plates was adapted to swing and was provided with a spring-latch; but I have found such holders to be objectionable, from the fact that the jars and blows imparted by the links tend to loosen and break the swinging lock-piece. These objections are entirely overcome when the chain is supported in a holder or stationary hook having the vertical walls and the bottom rigid together, wherein thechain can be held upon the bottom by gravity, and combining therewith a movable fastener or guard-hook, which closes a throat directly above the chain.

I am also aware of the fact that use has been made of a holder formed of sheet metal having an outward-projecting hook to support the chain and having a swinging hook pivoted in plates or ears bent forward from the back plate and adapted to provide a bearing for the fastener; but in the construction alluded to the parts have been so constructed and arranged that it was necessary to put the backplate behind the back-strap of the harness,the

aforesaid bearing plates or cars extending forward by the sides of the strap and the pintle or hinge-bar of the swinging loop being constructed to bite or grip the strap for the purpose of fastening the whole device in place. I, on the contrary, place the whole of my device in front of the back-strap and secure it thereto by means of rivets passing through the apertures a, the swinging hook being in no wise depended upon to hold the fastener of the strap. As a result of these features in my construction I can throw the axis of the hinge of the fastener back of the throat or entrance into the loop, so that there shall be a perfectly unobstructed path above said loop, and hence when the device is in use there will be no shocks or blows imparted to the hinge portion, nor when the chain is being taken in or out of the loop. Nor do I claim as myinvention the matters shown in the patents to P. Dolan, No. 85,646, January 5, 1869, and N. E. Gissna, No. 180,202, July 25, 1876, both for snap-hooks. In devices of the character illustrated in said patents the swinging part has been pivoted ata point intermediate of its length, the pivot passing through the nose or lower outer end of the other part. In my case the swinging guard-hook is pivoted at its upper end, the pivot being attached to the stationary plate above the chain or trace. As a result the swinging guard-hook can beturned up entirely away from and independently of the stationary hook. Again, the plate in my carrier is rigidly fastened by rivets, and in this respect the device differs from the snap-hooks heretofore used, which have hung loosely relatively to the strap or carrying and supporting part.

By placing the strap back of the hinge of the fastener I can use it to act as a stop to prevent the fastener from being unlocked accidentally, as will be seen more fully below.

By referring to Figs. 3, 4, and 6 it will be seen that the loop can be modified more or less without departing from the essential fea tures. In this case the parts are so arranged as to form a loop more or less nearly oval or circular. The fastener G is curved suitably and corresponds to the outer surface of the parts D and 0. At 6* there isa rib or projection with which the end of the part G can engage, the latter being adapted to spring past it more or less, after which it will be held by its elasticity. In this case the stop or abutment H is prolonged somewhat, it extending up to a point suitably near the fastener G to prevent the slipping of the link over the upper end thereof.

In Figs. (3, 7, and 8 another modification is shown, in which also the loop is oval or more or less nearly circular. Here the upper end of the fastener G is detachable from the plate and loop, which is a matter of great advantage, as the device can be readily repaired without much loss if the fastener should be come broken or impaired. I prefer to construct the parts as shown to attain this endthat is to say, I provide the fastener with a cross head, 9 having laterally projecting studs or pins g, which rest in recesses or seats a in the rear face of the plate A. \Vhen it is desired to remove the fastener, it is turned up into the position shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 6, after which the cross-head may be readily drawn out through the aperture (1..

The stationary hook and the fastener or guard-hook interlock laterally when the fastener or guard is closed down, the lower end or jaw of the guard-hook passing between and interlocking side by side with jaws or bars, as shown at d (I, there being between them a recess or slot to receive the swinging fastener or a part thereof. This interlocking of the two hooks makes the loops rigid and protects the movable guard hook. In the construction shown in Figs. (3, 7, and 8 a similar interlocking between the stationary holder and the movable fastener is effected, there being in this case a through-slot with walls or jaws at the sides thereof, and the pivoted fastener or guard-hook being adapted to positively en gage laterally with the said jaws.

I do not herein claim the beads at the edges of the loop in a construction like that shown in Figs. 7 and 8; but these beads do not perform the function which is performed by the ribs din Figs. 4 and 5, the fastener in Figs. 7 and 8 not having its edges in immediate proximity to these beads.

In the construction shown in Fig. 6 the pin or stop H is carried by the fastener G, the device in this case being adapted to engage with any of the links, whether vertical or hori-- zontal that is to say, they can be turned slightly to permit the passage of the pin or stop H through them. The front wall, D, is slotted or perforated to permit the passage inward of this part II.

In Fig. 9 a loop is shown adapted to hold a vertical link, and as the vertical walls 13 and D are comparatively close together, a pin or stop like that at II can be dispensed with, the adjacent links striking against the said vertical walls. Here, however, also the chain rests by gravity upon the bottom of the loop, and the throat or passage to the latter extends upward. The fastener G in this case terminates at or near the upper end of the outer wall, it engaging therewith by means of a curved surface and an elastic arm, in the manner above described.

I do not in this case claim any of the combination as claimed in my other application, No. 140,128, filed August 9, 1884, I preferring to restrict the claims in that case to the invention there shown that is to say, I do not herein specifically claim the combination,with a loop, of a hinged fastener carrying a spur or finger adapted to lie across the loop.

From an examination of the drawings it will be seen that that portion of the trace-carrier referred to as the loop, formed of the parts B C D, forms a stationary supportinghook adapted to receive and retain the tracechain, while the swinging fastener operates as a movable guard-hook,engagin g with said supporting-hook and operating to assist in retaining the chain within the stationary supporting-hook.

What I claim is- 1. In a trace-carrier, the combination of the plate A, the loop in which the trace-chain lies, having the vertical Walls B and D, and the bottom 0, constructed substantially as set forth,with an upward-opening throat, a pin, H, adapted to project through a link when lying within the loop, to assist in retaining it therein, and a pivoted fastening, G, which supplements said loop and pin in holding the chain, and which is held in the locked position by elasticity, substantially as set forth.

2. In a trace-carrier, the combination of the plate A, the loop in which the chain lies, the fastener which assists in retaining the chain within the loop,' detachably hinged to the carrier and projecting through the plate A,whereby the strap to which the carrier is attached assists in preventing accidental detachment of the fastener, substantially as set forth.

3. In atrace-carrier, the combination of the plate provided with aperture a and recesses a, the loop in which the chain lies, the fastener which assists in retaining the chain within 'the loop, detachably hinged to the plate A by means of pins seated in recesses in a, substantially as set forth.

4. In a trace-carrier, the combination of the plate A, the loop in which the chain lies, the front wall of the loop being provided upon its outer face with ribs d, and the fastener G, pivoted at its upper end to the plate A at a point above the loop, and which, when in operation, lies between said ribs d, and is thereby protected from blows from the chain, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the stationary hook provided with an attachment whereby it is secured to a strap, of the guard-hook pivoted to said attachment, both hooks being provided with jaws, substantially as described, which interlock side by side, as set forth.

6. The combination, with the stationary hook provided with a plate, A, and having its jaws constructed with a recess, of the guard hook pivoted to the plate A and having its jaw constructed to enter the aforesaid recess, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVUS ELBEL. 

